Prices of rice, ginger and potato continued to increase in the last two days, inflicting further pain on consumers amid shutdown over the coronavirus outbreak.
Medium and finer quality rice saw a price hike of Tk 2.0-3.0 a kg in the city market while ginger prices went up by Tk 80-100 a kg.
Imported Chinese ginger was selling at Tk 280-Tk 310 a kg and local ginger at Tk 230-260 a kg on Sunday.
The prices have shot up due to supply shortage as the ongoing shutdown has caused disruption in transportation of ginger from the ports, traders said.
Narayan Chandra Saha, a Shyambazar-based importer, said they are not receiving ginger from the Chattogram Port over the last five days.
A plenty of the produce has already arrived at the Chattagram Port, but they could not be unloaded due to labour shortage, he said.
The imported ginger was selling at Tk 230-240 a kg at the Shyambazar wholsale market and local ginger at Tk 170-190 a kg on Sunday, he said.
He also said retail prices are much higher than the wholesale prices, which should be monitored.
However, garlic prices remained the same maintaining its previous hike and selling at Tk 160-200 a kg.
Meanwhile, prices of rice increased further as medium quality Brridhan-29, 28, Lata, Paijam were retailed at Tk 56-58 a kg.
Finer quality Miniket, Jeerashail, Najirshail was selling at Tk 60-70 a kg.
Coarse rice prices remained the same maintaining the previous high level, as Swarna and BR-11 varieties were selling at Tk 48-50 a kg.
Haji Mohammad Asadullah, a Babubazar-based rice trader, said prices of the staple have been increasing gradually at mill gates for the four last weeks.
He said Miniket price further increased by Tk 100-120 per 50 kg sack in the last four days in Kushtia, Dinajpur and Naogaon.
Asked, secretary of Bangladesh Auto Major Husking Mills Owners Association KM Layek Ali said paddy prices increased by Tk 250-300 a maund in the last few weeks.
Coarse paddy is selling at Tk 900-920 a maund while Miniket and Jeerashail paddy at Tk 1250 a maund, he said.
He also said prices of rice will not come down before the start of Boro harvesting across the country.
Potato prices, which showed a slight decline two weeks ago, increased again on Sunday by Tk 2.0-4.0 a kg.
Potato was selling at Tk 24-28 (cardinal, diamond) a kg and Tk 35-36 (local variety) a kg.
Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) secretary Humayun Kabir Bhuiyan said lack of regular market monitoring has been encouraging a section of traders to fix prices at their whim.
The government agencies concerned should widen their monitoring activities to keep prices of key essentials within the reach of common people during this difficult time.
